United secure first home win of the season
Oxford moved off the bottom of the WSL 2 table as Lauren Allison's 30th-minute header secured the U's a 1-0 win over Millwall Lionesses. The victory was United's first at home this season and also the first clean sheet of the campaign.United named an unchanged starting XI from the one which drew 1-1 at London Bees on Thursday and the U's carried the momentum from that game into this one, starting brightly.
Ella Franklin-Fraiture had a great chance to give United an early lead, throwing herself at Laura Low's dangerous cross but she just couldn't make enough contact to turn it goalwards. United were looking dangerous from set pieces, Kayleigh Hines drawing an excellent reaction save from Millwall keeper Sarah Quantrill with a powerful diving header from a corner.
And it was another Jemma Connor-Iommi corner on the half-hour which eventually broke the deadlock, Lauren Allison stooping to head in at the front post.
The U's almost doubled the lead immediately after the restart as Franklin-Fraiture got the wrong side of the defence only to be pulled down as she bore down on goal. Connor-Iommi stepped up to take the kick, driving it hard up the middle, but Quantrill acrobatically stretched out an arm to tip her spotkick over the bar.
The U's continued to press forward after the break, Allison heading narrowly wide from a Low cross and Hines striking the crossbar with another headed effort from a Megan Alexander corner.
But despite mounting pressure the second goal continued to elude the U's, Allison again being denied as she burst through on goal, first seeing her effort blocked by the keeper and then heading the rebound against the post.
And with United failing to extend their lead there were nervy moments to follow as the visitors struck the bar with one speculative long-range effort in the final minutes. But despite a nervous finish to the match, United were able to see it out to claim a richly-deserved victory.
United: Lambourne, Hines, Osborne-Ricketts, Chivers, Stanley, Allison, Low (Pickett 82), Nutman (Pinker 82), Connor-Iommi, Alexander, Franklin-Fraiture (King HT). Subs not used: Nichol, Marshall.
Attendance: 165